CHAPTER 3

MAKING SCHOOLS
INCLUSIVE
 DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES: AT THE END
OF THE UNIT, STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

1. IDENTIFY THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF DIVERSITY IN RELATION TO

ONE’S SELF
2. COMPOSE AN ESSAY EXPLAINING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
DIVERSITY IN THE SOCIETY
3. ARTICULATE THEIR INSIGHTS ABOUT DIVERSITY AS A POSITIVE
COMPONENT OF RELATIONSHIPS, EDUCATION, AND ORGANIZATIONS
 Booth and Ainscow (2002) explained that these
three dimensions creating inclusive cultures,
evolving inclusive practices, and producing
ces inclusive policies are interconnected and

Pro
c ti

“chosen to direct thinking about school change”

du
pr a

cti
(2002:7). Considered the backbone of the

v
ve

ei
framework is the laying down and establishing
i
lus

n cl
in c

usi
of an inclusive culture. Without this at the

ve
ng

foundation, it will be quite difficult to get

i

po
olv

li
people to shift policies and practices. A non-
Inv

cie
s
supportive culture would most likely result in
resistance from the school’s direct stakeholders.
Creating inclusive cultures
They explain that these three dimensions also
branch out into sections to further guide schools
Figure 3.1. Three dimensions of the Index (Booth and Ainscow 2002:7) into implementing more direct steps toward this
paradigm shift.
The Dimensions and Sections in the Index
DIMENSION A Creating inclusive cultures
Section A.1 Building community
Section A.2 Establishing inclusive values
This dimension creates a secure, accepting,
collaborating, and stimulating community, in which
everyone is valued as the foundation for the highest
achievements of all. It develops shared inclusive
values that are conveyed to all new staff, students,
governors, and parents/careers. The principles and
values, in inclusive school cultures, guide decisions
about policies and moment to moment practice in
classrooms, so that school development becomes a
continuous process.
(Source: The Dimensions and Sections in the Index of Inclusion. Adapted from Booth & Ainscow, 2002:8)
DIMENSION B Producing inclusive policies
Section B.1 Developing the school for all
Section B.2 Organizing support for diversity
This dimension makes sure that inclusion
permeates all school plans. Policies encourage the
participation of students and staff from the moment
they join the school, reach out to all students in the
locality, and minimize exclusionary pressures. All
policies involve clear strategies for change.
Support is considered to be all activities which
increase the capacity of a school to respond to
student diversity. All forms of support are
developed according to inclusive principles and are
brought together within a single framework.
 DIMENSION C Evolving inclusive practices
Section C.1 Orchestrating learning
Section C.2 Mobilizing resources

This dimension develops school practices which reflect the inclusive cultures and policies of the
school. Lessons are made responsive to student diversity. Students are encouraged to be actively
involved in all aspects of their education, which draws on their knowledge and experience outside
school. Staff identify material resources and resources within each other, students, parents/careers,
and local communities which can be mobilized to support learning and participation.
(Source: The Dimensions and Sections in the Index of Inclusion. Adapted from Booth & Ainscow, 2002:8)

l. CREATING INCLUSIVE CULTURES

Inclusion is as much the responsibility of society as it is the responsibility of

schools. We realized from the previous' chapter that the key to successful inclusive
practices are merging of frameworks and aligning of definitions of disability. In this
chapter, we shall learn that inclusive education is an ongoing collaborative process
that needs to be dynamically revisited. For it to truly work, its essence has to
resonate to all stakeholders of education.
In educational reform, stakeholders are those who are "invested in the welfare and
success of a schooland its students" (www.edglossary.org). In other words, these are
the teachers, administrators, school staff, officials and other workers, the parents and
their families, the community, and the government. They may also be collective
entities like local businesses, advocacy groups, the media, sociocultural institutions,
and other organizations that máy be directly or indirectly involved in education.
Stakeholders are important because they play a major role in "connecting what is
being taught in a school to its surrounding community" (www.edglossary.org).

In 2017, UNESCO reported that there has been significant global improvement in
accessing education, specifically in the primary level for the last 15 years. However,
its 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report reveals that there are still an estimated
263 million children and youth aged 6 to 17all around the world who are still not in
school at this time. The report also confirmed the continuous plight of women against
gender discrimination, among others. With increasing globalization and international
migration, the problem pertaining to inclusive education and how it affects PWDs
could not be more real.
 I. WHAT STAKEHOLDERS CAN DO
• The rights-based approach to educational programming “insists that no right can
exist without a corresponding governmental obligation” (Van den Brule-Balescut &
Sandkull 2005). Thus, governments and communities are starting to understand
how they are accountable to children with additional needs in fulfilling their right
to education and providing access to quality education that is also safe, welcoming,
and inclusive. Legally defining terms and formalizing a system for setting up
inclusive schools in areas where there are none to begin with ensures uniformity,
universality, consistency of implementation, and eventual success of inclusion in
the country. The following are some steps stakeholders can take to create inclusive
cultures:
• Set the parameters for inclusion. The government has
identified key people and professions, and highlighted
important factors leading to the success of inclusive
education-i.e., placement process, committees, staffing and
responsibilities, teacher training and compensation, incentives
for private sector participation, and collaboration of the
Department of Education with other branches of government.
These clearly show not just an attempt to centralize inclusive
practices, but an initiative to make the welfare and
development of children with additional needs the
responsibility of all. These are also consistent with what the
UNESCO pushes for in terms of getting every stakeholder
involved.
Build key people. The government recognizes the need for teacher training,
both in the special needs education and general education levels. It also pushes
for the use of evidence-based teaching frameworks, provision of student
assistance, and access to instructional materials. Most importantly, calls are
made for continuing research and forming of policies to be initiated by agencies
such as the Department' of Education so as to further refine the inclusive
process and have it tailored to fit to the needs of children with additional needs.
This is an important factor that every nation has to constantly revisit as the
needs of students across continents, though similar, would have nuances
depending on where they reside. Educational frameworks cannot just be lifted
and "copy-pasted" with the expectation that what worked for one country will
work for another. UNESCO (2005) states that clarity of purpose, realistic goals,
motivation, support, resources, and an evaluation of policies and practices all
contribute to a successful shift toward inclusion.
Identify and eradicate barriers. UNESCO's Guide for Inclusion
(2005) advocates for the identification and removal of obstacles that
have to do with transforming prevailing attitudes and values on a
systemic level. The Philippine government seems to be in
consonance with this aspect in the light of its existing legislative
policies that ground the undeniable importance of inclusion. It is also
continuously reorganizing structures in education and implementing
programs that highlight the need for primary stakeholders like the
school, the parents, and other policy makers, to acquire more
understanding and capacity-building to manage an inclusive
environment.
 Common Barriers to Inclusion
• Attitudes, values systems, misconceptions, and societal norms - can lead to
prejudices and/or actual resistance to implement inclusive practices (UNESCO
2005):
• Physical barriers - the lack of building, facility, transportation, or road
accessibility are types of physical barriers that can literally affect one's mobility.
• Curriculum - a rigid "one size fits all" type of curriculum that does not allow
room for individual differences can significantly stunt one's learning and
opportunity for growth.
• Lack of teacher training and low teacher efficacy - whether training in teaching
strategies, using curriculum frameworks, or behavior and classroom
management, lack of training as well as low confidence in one's own skills can
directly affect how inclusive practices are implemented.
• Poor language and communication - language barriers may also directly have
implications on how well inclusive practices are implemented..
Figure 3.3. Barriers to inclusion.
Special Education vs. Mainstreaming vs. Inclusive Education

Part of what needs to occur when creating cultures is to also determine

distinctions among frameworks and practices. Most important in this scenario is
to understand how different special education, mainstreaming. and inclusive
education are from each other. In the previous chapter, We discussed how special
education is often regarded as segregated and exclusive. It has to be noted,
however, that this perception is entirely due to its nature of addressing cases in a
highly individualized way. This is not to mean that special education is an
environment that violates human rights. Because special education assesses,
instructs, and evaluates students individually and intentionally, this type of
educational setting is beneficial to those with very unique needs as well.
Mainstreaming shares more similarities with inclusion than with special
education. Both look at integrating the child with additional needs into a general
education setting. There are, however, nuances between the two as well (see
Table 3.1).
Part of what needs to occur when creating cultures is to also determine distinctions among frameworks and practices. Most important in
this scenario is to understand how different special education, mainstreaming. and inclusive education are from each other. In the previous
chapter, We discussed how special education is often regarded as segregated and exclusive. It has to be noted, however, that this perception
is entirely due to its nature of addressing cases in a highly individualized way. This is not to mean that special education is an environment
that violates human rights. Because special education assesses, instructs, and evaluates students individually and intentionally, this type of
educational setting is beneficial to those with very unique needs as well.
Mainstreaming shares more similarities with inclusion than with special education. Both look at integrating the child with additional needs
into a general education setting. There are, however, nuances between the two as well (see Table 3.1).
 Special Education Inclusion Mainstreaming
Learners Students who are not part of All same aged peers/learners Selected learners are included
the classroom norm are in one class regardless of in a general education class
ability. based on their readiness
instead of their age.
Curriculum Strengths-based and needs- General Education Curriculum Learner may have access to
based individualized both general education
curriculum curriculum and amore
individualized curriculum.
Assessment Mostly strengths-based but is Norm-referenced Both norm referenced and
sometimes is also standards- strengths-based
based
Learning Placement and All services hap-pen inside the All services happen inside the Receives services, in both the
Delivery of Services special education classroom general education classroom. general education class-room
but other services such as and outside through the use of
therapeutic interventions may resource rooms and
be integrated into this setting therapeutic programs.
or delivered separately.

Philosophy Learner-centered: Some Rights-based: All learners Preparatory and Integrative:

learners have very specific have aright to access quality Learners are given access to
needs that may not be education that is available to general education but will
appropriately addressed in a others need to catch upon skills first.
general education classroom.
II. PRODUCING INCLUSIVE POLICIES
As retreated in the previous chapters, the premise of inclusion starts with an
acceptance and embracing of diversity. It is difficult to start movement if this
practice is not rooted on a culture that assumes the right perspectives and values.
For simultaneous paradigm shifts to happen among its education stakeholders,
schools must first create a new culture.
UNESCO (2005) realistically acknowledges that a societal change in attitude need
not be initially present in d community before inclusion can be fully practiced.
Rather, it must be viewed as a perspective or an ideal to work toward. Without this
realization, differences in standards and quality of education may surface as
potential problems. Just very recently, the pre-service education curriculum was
restructured so that special needs education units are not only given to special
needs education majors but to other education majors as well. This is a huge step
for teachers and a nod to inclusive education. The following is a list of other
possible steps that educators can take to facilitate the much-needed societal shift
and inform policy:
• Involve other sectors of society. Current training and awareness campaigns seem to
limit the movement of inclusion to a mere home- school relationship. At most, these
are extended to the departments for social welfare and health. However, for an
inclusive set-up to truly be successful, active involvement of the entire community
must be ensured. For instance, those in the business, commercial, security, and
religious sectors must also be given representation in trainings. These campaigns
must be wide enough in scope as to cover supermarkets, restaurants, malls, public
and government agencies not directly associated with social welfare or health,
transportation, land, airline and maritime companies, the media, and even the
research teams of our policy makers. At the same time, they must be specific enough
to reach the local churches, the subdivision playgrounds, and the village stores. In
recent years, students in the tertiary level from various programs have been showing
growing interest in the PWD community. For instance, students belonging to
architectural and interior design programs have been working on theses and capstone
projects, where their main clients have additional needs. The idea is for everyone-
regardless of their training or exposure-to become more sensitive and aware of the
PWD population. The more aware a community is, the more it will be able to help.
• Collaborate. Whether creating an academic program specific to a child with
additional needs or creating a new legislative bill for the PWD community,
collaboration is crucial. Each member of the inclusive education team would
have their own strengths and weaknesses, and these have to be used wisely to
benefit the child with additional needs. Del Corro-Tiangco (2014) states that
general education teachers are trained in the general curriculum but would not
know how to teach and manage children with additional needs; while a special
needs education teacher would be equipped to handle atypical behaviors but
would not know much about the general education curriculum. True
collaboration would guarantee an inclusive program that would cover as many
areas as possible.
• Recognize the shift in roles of the teachers. With the shift to inclusive
education, the role of special education (SPED) teachers suddenly seems to be
reduced to only "as needed." As a result, the SPED teacher's role no longer
becomes that of an implementer but that of a consultative nature instead. It also
becomes the responsibility of the general education teacher to know what to do
when faced with a learner with additional needs in his or her classroom. The
SPED teachers' role-their trainings, their insights, and their skills as a supposed
prime mover in the inclusive education framework-must neither be diminished
nor disregarded. Instead, these must be used to ensure a good inclusive program
is provided to children with additional needs. Conversely, general education
teachers must go through skills training and capacity-building workshops to
ensure that they are supporting all types of learners in their classrooms
appropriately.
• Include transitions in planning. An abrupt systemic change that is not well-
planned or that disregards practices-whether existing or implied-may hinder the
shift to inclusion and cause resentment from all stakeholders. Instead, current
practices have to be respected and honored so as to facilitate a gradual shift to
inclusive education.
Booth and Ainscow (2002) recommend that schools reflect on their
current policies and practices to check their readiness for an inclusive set-
up. They also devised a questionnaire that would help administrators,
faculty and other stakeholders comprehensively gather baseline data. A
move that would greatly help in informing policy would be to examine
different aspects of the school and the delivery of its services.
Specifically, schools may look at the following:

• Student Submission
• Number of Bullying cases
• Faculty and Staffs promotion
IIL. EVOLVING INCLUSIVE PRACTICES
Evolving inclusive practices is the third dimension to Booth and Ainscow's
framework for schools (2002), where administrators must first try to create an
inclusive culture among its stakeholders, then build better, more all-encompassing
policies. The goal of the first two steps is to ascertain habit forming conditions, which
make procedures that are otherwise unfamiliar feel like second nature to us. We want
to reach a point where inclusive teaching practices are expected. Once this happens,
we can start focusing on raising the participation and success rates of learners with
additional needs inside our classrooms.
Moreover, the term "evolving" assumes that we already have strategies in place which
we just have to revisit for possible tweaking. It suggests advancement and positive
growth, which means we can look at these existing strategies and just adjust these
according to the needs of our students along the way. Two effective evidence-based
inclusive practices that can be used in the classroom are Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction.
1. Universal Design for Learning

In architecture, universal designs refer to structures that were made in

such a way that they can be used by customers or clients with a wide
range of needs (Dukes & Lamar-Dukes 2009 as cited in Salend 2011).
Such designs ensure accessibility for all. For example, an architect
designs a commercial complex where ramps, elevators, escalators,
handrails, wide doorways and sidewalks, and signs embossed in Braille
abound. It is a very user-friendly building. Obviously, the designer
imagined that some customers might walk into the complex in
wheelchairs or white canes. The architect does not know if or when it's
going to happen, but he anticipated it and incorporated it into his design
anyway.
 Such is the mechanics of a Universal
Design for Learning (UDL) approach to
instruction. UDL refers to the design of
instructional materials and activities to
make the content information accessible to
all children (Rose & Meyer 2006 as cited in
Turnbull et al. 2013). It is best used in a
general education classroom where learners
are different. Through the provision of
delivering content and allowing student to
construct learning in more than one way,
UDL ensures that all students learn
genuinely. There are three elements to
UDL:1. Multiple means of representation2
2. Multiple means of action and expression3
Multiple means of engagement
Figure 3.2. Retrieved from http://www.scandihub.com.
 There are three elements to UDL:
1. Multiple means of representation
2. Multiple means of action and expression
3. Multiple means of engagement

In UDL, teachers are supposed to present information and materials in many different
ways, taking into consideration that some students may have not fully absorbed the
lesson the first time it was presented. The concept of multiple means of representation
is meant to ensure that all students are able to access and understand learning
material. After this, teachers allow students to express what they learned in various
ways, and finally, the teacher uses different techniques to reinforce learning at the
students' optimal levels. The principles of UDL, which sometimes overlap, are
presented below with examples (see Table 3.2).
 UDL Principles UDL Principle and Inclusive
Practices
Principle 1: Equitable Use Inclusive practices are designed to be
useful, appealing, and safe for all
students, families, and professionals
to use. Individual differences and
various contexts are respected.
Principle 2: Flexible Use Inclusive practices are designed to
accommodate the individual
preferences, abilities, and needs of all
students, families, and professionals.
Flexibility in providing choices for
methods and pacing are Exercised.
Principle 3: Simple and Initiative Use Inclusive practices are designed to be
easy for all to use and understand.
Table 3.2. UDL principles adapted from Salend (2011:17-18)
Examples of UDL Implementation
and Inclusive Practices
• Use UDL principles equitably
• Use culturally responsive teaching
strategies and materials like
MTBMLE (mother tongue-based
multilingual education)
• Establish classroom rules and
routines
• Use graphic organizers for
synthesizing material
• Develop scoring rubrics with the
students
Principle 4: Perceptible Information
Principle 5: Tolerance for Error
Principle 6: Law Physical Effort
Principle 7: Size and Space for
Approach and Use
Inclusive practices are designed so that • Use technological and assistive
they communicate valuable
information to all through various
formats.
Inclusive practices are designed to
minimize errors and unintended
consequences by providing safeguards
and warnings to assist all in using
them safely.
Inclusive practices are designed to be
used comfortably and efficiently
without much effort from all.
Inclusive practices are designed for
use by all, regardless of their mobility,
physicality, or way of communication.
devices to support learning,
communicate with parents, or share
information
• Teach study and learning strategies
• Teach self-regulatory techniques
Encourage students and foster their
intrinsic motivation
• Offer grading alternatives that are
valid and appropriate
• Chunk activities and give more
breaks
• Teach mindfulness
• Provide additional support as
needed
• Take advantage of seat
arrangements and classroom
furniture (e-g, specialized chairs,
stability balls, use of ambient
music, and appropriate lighting).
• Provide opportunities for outdoor
work
• Allow technology as needed
Principle 8: Community of Learning
Principle 9: Inclusive Environment
Inclusive practices are designed to
promote social interaction and
communication for all.
Inclusive practices are designed to
foster acceptance and a sense of
belongingness for all.
• Use project-based learning
• Promote collaborative activities
such as fishbowl discussions or
think pair share
• Establish strong home-school
partnerships
• Classroom check-ins and check-
outs
• Make students aware of and
comfortable with diversity
• Emphasize social roles in the
classroom; (e.g., that we students
are thereto teach each other and
learn from each other.)
• Allow bonding activities
• Do team-building exercises
regularly and integrate lessons in
such activities
2. DIFFERENTIATED
INSTRUCTION
According to Tomlinson (2010), differentiated (or
differentiating) instruction is a teacher's response to students'
varying needs, interests, and learning styles. "It refers to a
systematic approach to planning curriculum and instruction for
academically diverse learners. It is a way of thin king about the
classroom with the dual goals of honoring each student's
learning needs and maximizing student's learning
capacity."/When teachers differentiate instruction, they use a
variety of teaching and learning strategies that are necessary to
meet the diverse needs of students in any class (Friend &
Bursuck 2009).
WHY DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION?

All learners are unique and have varying interests, talents,

strengths, as well as needs. Hence, it is essential that teaching and
learning experiences reflect this diversity. To ensure engaged,
successful, and flourishing learners, teaching and learning
experiences need to be designed in a way that provide
opportunities for students to learn and demonstrate their
understanding in varied ways. Thus, Differentiating Instruction
(DI) helps ensure that learners are engaged in respectful tasks and
provide diverse means of learning that reflect their strengths and
address their needs simultaneously.
 HOW IS INSTRUCTION
DIFFERENTIATED?
Bender in 2002 (as cited by Gentry et al. 2013) identified
elements of the curriculum that can be differentiated: (1)
content, (2) process, (3) product, and (4) learning environment
in response to the students' characteristics: interests, readiness,
and learning profile. As an overview, differentiation is achieved
by providing materials and tasks:
a. at varied levels of difficulty;
b. with varying levels of instructional support;
c. by using multiple grouping arrangement
d. that involve student choice; and
e. use varied evaluation strategies.